Journals 2006/2007

Cyndy Martin
Portland High School, Portland, Maine

"STAR Project NOAA R/V McArthur II" July 28 - August 26, 2006

Journal Index: September 28 - 29 - 30 - 31 August 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9            10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16            17 - 18 - 19 - 20 - 21 - 22 - 23            24 - 25 - 26

August 18, 2006
Day Off

Lat: 13° 29' N
Long: 134° 13.9' W
Skies: PC
Wind: 26 kts, 050 deg T
Seas: waves = 2-4, swells = 5-7'
Course: 180 deg T
Speed: 10 kts
Distance in 24 hrs: 197 nm
Sea temp: 28.3 deg C
Distance from land: 1135 nm W of Clarion Is

More of the same weather: mostly cloudy, intermittent rain showers, winds picking up to 20 - 30 kts, confused seas. Very poor conditions for mammal sightings, so mammal observers had the day off with Beaufort 6 seas. (Anything 6+ they go off effort). Birders are still having their fun! Night op's proceed as usual, though we didn't deploy the Manta due to heavy seas.

Had some random thoughts today about some of the things I miss the most: the perfect stillness of simply sitting on a rock, the many shades of green in a coniferous forest, the sound of silence, the sand between my toes. I do love being at sea, however. As a sailor I dream of doing extended cruising, which inevitably involves an ocean crossing at some point. I've always wondered if I could spend that much time away from land; I feel confident now that I could, on the right boat with the right crew. But I think a month would be about my max!

Never a day off for Acousticians